Blue Daze, scientifically known as Evolvulus glomeratus, is a low-growing perennial known for its sky-blue flowers and compact habit. It serves as an excellent groundcover or container specimen, bringing continuous color to garden spaces. Consistent pruning practices are important for maintaining its vibrant display and healthy growth.
Why Prune Blue Daze
Pruning Blue Daze encourages denser, more robust growth, preventing sparseness or legginess. This practice also stimulates more prolific blooming. Regularly removing spent blooms and overgrown stems improves air circulation, which deters fungal issues. Pruning maintains the plant’s tidy appearance.
When to Prune Blue Daze
Light pruning can be performed throughout the active growing season to encourage continuous blooming and maintain shape. For significant shaping or to rejuvenate an older plant, late winter or early spring is optimal. This allows the plant to produce vigorous new growth before peak blooming. A substantial trim can also occur after a major flush of flowers fades. Avoid heavy pruning late in the growing season, especially in frost-prone regions, as new tender growth might be damaged.
How to Prune Blue Daze
Essential Tools and Safety
Always use clean, sharp bypass pruners or small gardening scissors. Cleaning tools with rubbing alcohol before and after use prevents disease spread. Wearing gardening gloves protects hands from sap or abrasions.
Deadheading for Continuous Blooms
Deadheading encourages a continuous display of flowers by removing faded blooms before they set seed. Snip off the individual flower stalk just below the faded bloom. Alternatively, cut above the next healthy set of leaves or a developing bud to encourage new lateral growth.
Shaping and Maintenance Pruning
Maintenance pruning keeps Blue Daze compact and prevents legginess. When stems appear elongated or straggly, trim them back to promote bushier growth. Cut these stems back by about one-third to one-half of their length. Always make cuts just above a leaf node or a branching point, where new growth will emerge.
Rejuvenation Pruning for Older Plants
Older Blue Daze plants that have become woody, sparse, or overgrown benefit from rejuvenation pruning. This approach should be carried out in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins. You can cut back the entire plant by up to two-thirds of its size. This aggressive pruning encourages vigorous new stems and leaves, revitalizing the plant.
Post-Pruning Care
After pruning, water your Blue Daze thoroughly. This helps the plant recover and supports new growth. If within the active growing season, a light application of balanced liquid fertilizer can provide nutrients for emerging shoots. Monitor the plant for new growth and any signs of pests or diseases.